Christian headed for TCU
Posted March 30th, 2008 by mrasor
Men’s basketball
Within a week of Easter Sunday, Jim Christian accepted an offer to coach at Texas Christian Univerisity. It was a divine turn of events for Zips fans.
Christian, the former Kent State coach, had entertained offers from schools at bigger conferences for years. Someone who knows more than me about college basketball told me that a coach who accepts a lot of junior college players typically is looking to move up, and soon.
Candidates to replace Christian include former Toledo coach Stan Joplin, KSU assistant Geno Ford and Oklahoma assistant Oronde Taliaferro.
Despite my earlier sentiment in this post, don’t expect Kent State to fall out of contention. After Gary Waters left, Stan Heath (a former neighbor of mine) took the team to the Elite Eight. After Heath left, KSU athletic director Laing Kennedy found a jewel in Christian.
It is always possible, however, that your coaching selection will be a clunker.
- Notes…
My counterpart (a KSU blogger on Ohio.com) discussed the matter.
Zipper10 holds a small lead over oriole5 in the Ohio.com Bracket Challenge. You don’t have to believe me, but I nailed my entire Elite Eight (including Davidson). Of course, I have no excuse for neglecting to complete a bracket in the contest I started.
Football
The Zips held a scrimmage today.
I wasn’t there, but it sounds like the offense had a big day, particularly the passing game.
Chris Jacquemain and Matt Rodgers went 40-for-50. The defensive front also succeeded in bothering the quarterbacks.
That’s good for those positions, but it might be a symptom of lacking a healthy offensive line and depth at defensive back.
March 31st, 2008 at 12:15 am
Just a note…Geno Ford is an assistant at Kent State (not OU), though he played collegiately at Ohio U.
March 31st, 2008 at 12:20 am
Ah thanks.
March 31st, 2008 at 12:53 am
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March 31st, 2008 at 6:28 am
I don’t know whether Christian leaving is a good thing for the Zips or not but I do find it curious as to where he is headed. Is TCU’s basketball program really a “step up” from Kent State? I’m not so sure about that one. If it was football I’d understand it (even if I didn’t like it) but this one doesn’t seem to make sense unless it is about nothing more than the Benjamins.
The MAC needs either big name coaches OR stability within its coaching ranks to start getting more national attention which can in turn, with good on the court results, lead to multiple NCAA tourney bids. Christian leaving hurts the MAC as a conference overall whether it is a good thing or not for Akron.
April 1st, 2008 at 9:14 am
If you doubled your salary tomorrow, would you consider it a “step up?”
Matt Rodgers for President.
April 1st, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Yes I would, but Christian has had other offers in the past that would have paid him handsomely as well. That is why I would think he was looking for more than just the step up in money. I am just wondering how much more prestige the TCU basketball program has than the program at Kent State does.
April 1st, 2008 at 8:54 pm
I was under the impression that he was offered the Rhode Island job last year, but turned it down to stay at KSU. Wouldn’t you rather coach Rhode Island of the A-10 than TCU?